USArtists: American Fine Art Show Comes Home in 2010 to Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts

Sandra L. Nesbitt (l) and Lisa O'Connell (r), two of the four co-chairs for USArtists 2010 at the Preview Gala for the most recent USArtists show.

PHILADELPHIA, PA.- USArtists: American Fine Art show is moving from its 17-year venue at the 33rd Street Armory in Philadelphia to the Samuel M.V. Hamilton Building of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA) at 128 North Broad Street. Presented by the Women's Board of PAFA, the 18th show and sale of over 5,000 works of art will be held Friday through Sunday, October 1-3, next year in 2010.

"The addition of the Samuel M.V. Hamilton Building to PAFA's campus gives us the opportunity for the first time to host USArtists within the museum," said David R. Brigham, Edna S. Tuttleman Museum Director. "Doing so creates stronger linkages to our educational mission and opportunities to develop new programs related to the challenges and thrills of collecting art."

The move to PAFA is the culmination of several years of planning, with 2009 as a transition year without a show to allow ample time to develop the new venue for 2010. According to Julia DeMoss, President of the Women's Board, "We are thrilled at the opportunity to bring USArtists visitors directly to the PAFA campus. The first and second floors of the Hamilton Building will be a magnificent venue for the important works our dealers present."

USArtists has long held a reputation as a Must See for serious collectors of American art. The new venue will only enhance that reputation with some 40 of the country's most prestigious dealers being invited to bring their finest works. The new look and renewed energy of the 18th show will be oriented toward the cultivation, nurturing, and development of new as well as established collectors.

Events during the show include a Preview Gala, which launches the show on Thursday, September 30, as well as a New Collectors Night on Friday, October 1. The Preview Gala attracts the most serious collectors as it offers the first opportunity to view and purchase from the diverse collections of nationally recognized dealers. New Collectors Night focuses on those individuals who may be relatively new to collecting and includes a cocktail party and informal lectures on art and collecting. During the run of the show, Dealer Talks offer all visitors a chance to learn from the experts during ten-minute lectures in selected dealers' booths.

Proceeds from USArtists and other Women's Board events directly support student scholarships and museum programs at PAFA.